Midfielder arek Beckles will be one of MLK’s top threats. (Lauren Marsh)

Irvin Barreto will start the year in net for MLK. (Lauren Marsh)

Martin Jacobson turned off his phone and flipped on his television in an attempt to lose himself in a steady stream of horror movies. He figured the flicks could distract him from reality: For the first time in 15 years his dynastic Martin Luther King Jr. boys soccer team wasn’t playing in the PSAL Class A final.

But none of the films he watched could wash his memory of the agonizing, extra-time loss to underdog arch rival Beacon, which went on to win its second title. They didn’t scare him; reality upset him.

“That was a pretty hard day,” he said. “It was devastating.”

Jacobson couldn’t watch soccer for four months. His players were equally hurt. Star senior Ibrahim Diaby went as far as to say a championship this fall won’t even make him feel better. Playmaking center midfielder Bryan Moya took a month off from training.

“Every time I played, I had memories of that game,” he said.

The Knights haven’t talked about it much, looking to put the heartbreaking loss behind them. But it’s still there – they return nine of 11 starters from last year’s club – at least Jacobson hopes. It is for him.

“I won’t be happy,” he said, “until we win.”

He did seem pleased this week as the healing process began with full squad practices. He has an absurdly deep roster of 30 – nearly the amount of most football teams in the city – and in addition to the nine returning starters, a few new toys to play with.

“Our second team would do well, finish in the final eight,” he said.

Diaby said: “We got a lot of talent, we got a lot of guys that play in soccer academies. A lot of people improved. We’re going to be very good.”

He expects the 6-foot-1 Diaby to replace last year’s star, Moriken (Chelsea) Sangary, up front. Out of center midfield, Diaby had six goals and 12 assists as a junior, and he’s only progressed. While he lacks Sangary’s game-breaking speed, he has a rocket for a shot in either foot and size and quickness to beat defenders in different ways.

“He’s the best player in the city,” Jacobson said of Diaby, who plays academy soccer with the New York Cosmos U-23 team. “He’s gonna score a ton of goals.”

The elusive Moya will be the Knights’ playmaker, with explosive wingers Tarek Beckles, Jethro Dede out wide and Steven Carvajal seeing time alongside Diaby in the attacking third. Three-year starter Widmayer Jean is back at stopper and Irvin Barreto replaces Moulaye Traore in net. Jacobson is high on blazing newcomer Ibrahim Lakanobo he thinks can make an immediate impact.

“This year we’re gonna come back hard after everything we’ve been through,” Diaby said. “We’re gonna do everything we can to take it all the way.”

While Sangary is gone, everyone else returns from a team that owned the PSAL last fall before the hiccup to Beacon. It’s a deep mix of speed, size and skill – reminiscent to some of Jacobson’s best teams.

“We’re just gonna play great [soccer], show we’re the best team in New York,” Jacobson said, with that typical confidence of his.

His players didn’t make any guarantees, though they did guarantee not one game would be taken lightly, whether it’s Beacon or A.P. Randolph. As far as the defending champion Blue Demons, MLK can’t wait to see them again.